School Programs
Come to the Barnes, or we’ll come to you. Our programs will nourish your students’ imaginations and serve your curricular goals.
Professional Development
The Barnes offers many ways for teachers to expand their learning and integrate art into their classroom curriculum. Join our Teacher Advisory Board or take a class or workshop. New this year, you can earn Act 48 credits for some classes and workshops. Sign up for teacher emails to stay on top of all opportunities.
Teacher Advisory Board
The Teacher Advisory Board (TAB) is a cohort of Philadelphia-area pre-K–12 educators who share our belief that art has the power to improve minds and transform lives.
The board meets with Barnes School Programs staff three times a year to discuss ideas for new programs and educational resources that align with curriculum standards and encourage students to make personal connections with art. TAB members receive complimentary Patron-level memberships, which include free admission and deep discounts for a full year.
Applications for 2023–24 are now open! Learn more and apply by Friday, October 20. Email us for additional information.
Classes and Workshops with Act 48 Credits
The Barnes is committed to our education community and meeting the needs of students and teachers by offering several opportunities to earn Act 48 credits throughout the year.
The Elements of Art
Thursdays, September 7 – December 14, 2 – 5pm; 75 credit hours
This class will increase your understanding of art-related concepts, the ways you think critically about art, your ability to communicate about art, and your appreciation for cultures and histories outside your own. Online courses can be streamed live or watched later. Scholarships are available.
Project-Based Learning and the Art of Math Challenge; 5 credit hours
Two 2.5-hour sessions will familiarize teachers with the core principles and best practices of effective project-based learning (PBL), using the Barnes’s Art of Math Challenge as a case study. Educators will identify the core principles of effective project-based learning, plan a unit of study aligned to the core standards of their subject area that incorporates PBL, and grow their understanding of and comfort with project-based design and project-based instruction.
A New Technology for Object-Based Learning; 5 credit hours
Two 2.5-hour sessions utilizing the Barnes’s VXP (visual experience platform) will allow educators to grow their understanding of and comfort with object-based learning pedagogy, expand their ability to use art to teach other content areas, and increase their comfort in using technology to teach about art and other content areas.
Summer Teacher Institute; eligible for Act 48 credit hours
Returning in summer 2024, this multiday institute features hands-on workshops with Barnes staff and special presenters, with exclusive access to the collection and special exhibitions. The institute includes art making and creating resources for classroom lessons, including lesson plans and ideas for integrating art across the curriculum into content areas such as English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies.
Email us for additional information on teacher workshops.
Additional Classes
The Barnes–de Mazia Adult Education Program builds on Dr. Albert Barnes’s groundbreaking approach to teaching visual literacy through art. When you take a class with one of our expert instructors, you’ll not only increase your understanding of art-related concepts, but you’ll also sharpen your critical-thinking skills and grow a deeper appreciation for cultures and histories outside of your own. Classes take place on-site and online; utilizing innovative technology that allows you to get up close to art in ways you haven’t before. If you think you need an art background to take a class at the Barnes, think again: curiosity is the only requirement.
Scholarships are available. See all classes.